When It All Crashed
by maytheday
Summary: Emmeline Curtis is the twin to Ponyboy Curtis and the youngest in the Curtis family. Em's life will be forever changed with the announcement of her parents death. She will have to handle her teenage years with her brother's and the gang as her family.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders

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I woke up late, too late. I stared at the mirror with bags deep under my bright green eyes. I pushed my fingers under my eye sockets trying to scrub away the grey. I took a rag by the sink and scrubbed off my leftover mascara from the night before. I shouldn't have snuck out, and I was lucky that I didn't get caught. I knew sneaking out was risky especially in a family where you are the 'baby girl' and your two older brothers and twin happen to be in a gang.I reached for the door handle to leave the bathroom and pulled it open. I should have stayed home, and staring at my thick matted long brown hair it clearly was a sign I should have.

Darry nearly ran me over, "Woah." he said once he got a good look at myself, "You look like shit, what happened?"

I shoved him away, "Angela knocked on my window wasted as hell because she had an emergency." Angela Shepherd was my closest friend and also the most problematic, "Turns out the emergency was only a guy she was trying to sleep with and he denied her, so she wanted to tell him off. So she wanted me to come with I ended up at this party. I tried to leave the party for an hour, and by the time I did three beers were split down my shirt and I had fallen three times. All for that stupid guy to leave once she got there of course."

Darry's eyes went wide, "Dad better not find out, or else you can expect to never leave again." He let out a scoff.

"He won't." I stated and I looked up at Darry's eyes, "Won't he?"

Darry held his hands up in the air, "Nope, I won't say a word." He turned from me to close the door but cracked it open a slight bit to peep his head out, "Unless it happens again, then I'll skin you myself."

I stuck out my tongue, I knew Darry wouldn't lay a finger on me. Being the only girl of the family had its perks and its downfalls. For example, having three brothers made it nearly impossible to get away with lying. I knew I could have lied to Darry and claim that I didn't get a great night of sleep, but Darry could tell when I lied. It was like my eldest brothers superpower.

"Hey Emmie, were you up late last night or something?" My Dad placed a plateful of waffles and bacon down at my table setting, "You missed breakfast times this morning." Dad didn't realy mind if we woke up late. And I was glad that he was in the kitchen cooking, if Mom were here she would yell her head off.

I stuffed a bite of maple syrup doused waffle down my throat, "Didn't Mom put that rule in place? Where is she anyways?"

"She's working." My Mom had worked at her hair salon for quite some time now, and if she saw my hair at the moment she probably would run over with a comb and try to tear my hair out of my scalp. I downed half a waffle in less than a minute, "Just don't make your sleeping schedule a habit." Dad told me leaning against the counter and taking a small sip from his coffee mug.

"I dunno Dad, remember when Darry and I slept till noon for an entire month." Sodapop joked as he walked into the kitchen with his shirt half over his torso, he pulled it down and grabbed car keys from the table, "Mind if I borrow the car Dad? Steve needs a ride to the Dingo he just called."

"Don't be too long! And take Pony with you, he wanted to meet up with Johnny at the Dingo." He called to him with the order.

Sodapop sighed and cupped his hands around his mouth, "Ponyboy get your ass out here we're leaving'!"

Pony bounced out of his room with his comb still slicking back his dark brown hair to the back of his head, "I'm comin', I'm comin'." Then they both stalked out the door without saying good morning.

I stared where their backs once were, "My own twin didn't even say hello." I slumped my back in my chair, "I thought we were going to do something together too."

"I bet you could still catch up with them and get a ride to the dingo." My Father suggested, taking another gulp of his black coffee. I shook my head, "Their friends and I don't mix well." The gang and I did mix well, it was only that I didn't want to be seen with them in public. It wasn't that they weren't fun to hang around they all are pretty tuff. But, I didn't want to be around while they were all whistling at girls and being crude in order to be cool.

"Well then, any other plans you have today Em?" I figured I had nothing else to do, "Yeah. I'll head down to Angela's is that alright Dad?"

"Fine by me, as long as you don't tell your Mother." He looked up from his mug and gave me a wink. My Mom didn't necessarily like me hanging around Angela Shepherd, partly because of her brothers rowdy behavior. And the other half because of Angela's not-so-secret secret partying addiction and boy addiction. Mom tried to steer me to other girls, but I never liked them they were no fun.

I took a second waffle off the platter in the center of the table and kissed my dad on the cheek, "I'll be home by five."

"Darry's watching you at six, your mother and I are going out to town." Dad made sure to tell me before I left.

I groaned, "I'm old enough to be alone." I took a step out the door.

"Tell that to your Mother!" He called after me with a short laugh. I _would_ tell my Mother.

Once she got back from the city.

* * *

I had listened to Angela rant about the boy at the party last night for the past hour, "It doesn't matter." She mumbled, fluffing up her curled dirty blonde hair, "That new Anderson boy has an eye out for me." She flashed me a grin.

"Angie!" I moaned, "It's the boy's first year don't ruin it for him."

Angela elbowed me harshly in the ribs, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean don't get me wrong. I love you like my sister." I took her hands and bundled them in mine on top of her pillow, "But a lot of boys get attached to you, and then after you sleep with them you know well, you move on."

"That's so not true!" Angie yelped, "Remember Brian? And Meyer? Ford? Do not forget Zach." I stared at her after she had only mentioned a sixth of her body count, "Exactly Angie."

"Alright I get it." She huffed, "But it's not always my fault."

I shook my head, "No of course not." I sighed, "Just let that Anderson boy rest for his first week." Angie nodded, and went back to applying her bright pink lipstick along her bottom lip.

"Angela!" I heard Tim yell my bestfriends name as he slammed her front door shut, "Angela!"

Angela rolled her eyes and plopped her mirror down on her pillow, "What!" She screamed at her brother.

"Don't you yell at me kid!" I heard him yell once again, Shepherd came running through the doorway, "Did you actually sleep with- oh hey Curtis." I waved at Tim meekly, feeling cornered.

"What are you talking about?" Angela asked throwing her hands in the air.

"That Jacob guy did you sleep with him? The bastards been running around town saying he let you fuck him at school!"  
I winced, it sure sounded like Angela though, "That bitch…" Angela scoffed.

"So it's true! What the fuck Angela, I'm gonna skin you for this!" Tim took a step near Angela and she coiled into the corner of her bed. I bounced up from the bed to leave I didn't want to be here for this, "It's almost five, I have to go see you at school." I wasn't surprised when the pair of siblings ignored me and continued to scream at each other.

I knew that I shouldn't have been walking home alone, but I didn't want to sit around and wait for Darry while those two were attacking each other. I made a sharp turn towards our small home and twisted the door's handle which was of course unlocked.I walked into the light and warmth. The entire gang was settled inside. Soda was stretched across the couch with a deck of cards in his hands, Dally sat on the floor dealing jacks to Two-Bit, and Steve was wearing a large grin as his poker was laying with his feet on the armchairs sides with his playing cards hidden under his shirt.

"Hey Em." Ponyboy said from the kitchen, a glass of milk and a piece of chocolate cake between him and Johnny.

I grinned as I stepped over Dally to greet Johnny and my twin, "Hey." I mumbled, sitting down at a chair and taking a bite of chocolate cake, "How you've been Johnny?"

"Same old, Mom won't stop screaming her head off so snuck over here for a couple hours." I felt bad for Johnny. He never had it good at home and Mom and Dad noticed too so they let him over whenever he wanted. Hell, Johnny didn't even have to ask the doors were always wide open. The same rule applies to Dallas since he had it rough too, although Mom didn't like Dally's partying she still smiled and greeted Dally when he came over.

"I thought you'd stay at Angela's for a while later." Ponyboy took another bite of cake as he talked he never listened to table manners. I left the table due to Pony's obnoxious chewing,"Tim came back and started screaming his head off." I plopped next to Soda on the couch leaning my head on his knees.

"Those two are always trying to kill each other." Soda cursed. "Can't really blame them." I said, "I mean I know Tim's _Tim_ but I can't blame him for going off on her so much. I mean if Angela isn't careful she's gonna end up with a baby."

"Well have you seen that girl?" Steve asked, "Damn she's hot as hell, but nobody falls for a chick like that and stick 'round."

I winced, "I dunno. You should have seen the girl I pulled last night, damn the things she could do to me." Dallas blew out a whistle, and my skin flushed pink I knew the entire gang talked about the girls they could pull, and all the sex in between which was the only bad thing about being the only girl in the group. "Won't last though." Dallas shrugged, "Too handsy."

I scoffed Dallas was ridiculous, "You have an issue princess?" I hated that name. Princess was something the gang called me just to get riled up, and they all could care less if it bugged me. When Darry was fourteen, I was almost ten and so when he never played ball with me anymore and instead hung out with the gang, I made him take me with me. The boys called me princess ever since because they thought I had always gotten my way. And most times I did. Perks of being the only girl.

"I just think your stupid. I mean you fuck a new girl every party." I mumbled, "And then wonder why the good ones leave." The room around me laughed slightly I guess the gang was still surprised that I had a voice now that I was older.

"Well. If I stopped getting new ones then that means no more options." Dallas clicked his tongue, and went back to dealing cards. I still thought it was ridiculous.

I observed instead of playing. Card games weren't that interesting to me. But Soda explained that instead of dealing chips they were dealing money, and Steve had even thrown in a car which made more sense why it was quiet. Soda explained to me the moves people were making, and how the cards were exchanged. I still didn't understand,

The phone rang right at the climax of the intense card game and Darry made everyone stop talking. I didn't know what he was saying because he was whispering into the speaker, but his face was drained of all color. His lips were drawn to a line and he kept gripping the front of his hair like he was going to tear it out. The minute the word bye left his lips I stood up from the couch. "What was that about."

Darry walked lethargically to the armchair and flopped inside it, "Um, gang you gotta go." His voice was raspy and spaced out.

The gang tried to retaliate, "It's not up for debate." Darry said, and once Darry demanded something the gang knew it was serious and all shuffled out the door. I walked over to Darry once everyone was gone even Johnny.

"What's wrong?"

I wish I never asked that.

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	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders

...

I didn't remember when we all had stopped crying, or when we all fell asleep. I only remember the pain we had felt when Darry had told us the news. At first I didn't believe it in my head it couldn't be true that our parents were dead. But they were. I woke up in our parents bed, with Ponyboy and Soda both sprawled out at my side. We had spent the past night crying here, except for Darry he never cried, we knew he did but he would never admit it. Our parents room felt like the place to be, I could smell my Mother's perfume on her pillow the one that she never let me touch because it was too expensive. I sat up from the sheet's and went over to her dresser to touch the crystal bottle full with the pink liquid. My fingernail grazed the vial's cork but I withdrew it with a coiled hand. I left the room before tears began to cascade down my cheeks, I had done enough crying. Darry was passed out on the couch, and I could tell he felt as depressed as the rest of us.

I had to make breakfast. Usually Mom would make it on a Sunday but now I would. It still felt odd knowing our parents would never come home. I grabbed the pancake mixture from the cabinet and began to create the batter, I was frying the third pancake by the time Darry stirred from the couch. I didn't want to wake him up with all my noise but I figured it was inevitable. He used his hands to stand him up from the couch, "Hey." He walked over to me with his hands stuffed deeply in his pockets.

"I thought someone should make breakfast." I told him wiping away a tear before he would notice, "I mean I don't know much cooking, but I do know pancakes."  
Darry gave me a fake small smile, "They look great Em." I doubted that, the sides of the pancakes were slightly burned but the center looked alright. I made a good batch plain because I knew Darry didn't like anything mixed in with his pancakes. I grabbed chocolate chips from the cabinet above the oven and stirred them in with the rest of the batter. Pony, Soda and I all favored chocolate chips in any of our breakfast foods. Mom didn't approve of it half of the time, but she still would always mix in the sweet chips.

"Darry." I said flipping one of the pancakes, he turned to me, "What happens now?"

Darry frowned I could tell he didn't want us to talk about the obvious, "We'll figure it all out." I had doubts about this. But I didn't want to argue anymore with him. Soda and Pony came out of our parents room and helped themselves to breakfast. Breakfast was awkward and silent, nobody wanted to believe that our parents were really gone. It all still felt surreal, like our parents would come back for lunch and it would all be one sick joke. I felt my heart throb as I stared at the table remembering all of the meals we all had here as a family. I could picture the nights my parents had sat here trying to help me with school. And the afternoon my mother would teach me how to do my hair and how to bake her favorite recipes, not that I liked all those girly things anyways. I pushed my chair out of the table and stormed into my room. I couldn't be out there, not right now. There were too many memories, too much pain.

I was in my room for fifteen minutes before I heard a soft knock at my door, "Yeah." I said rubbing away tears from my eyes. The door clicked open and Soda popped his head in through the crack, "Mind if I come in?" He asked. I nodded, if anything I wanted to talk to Soda the most right now. I knew Darry would try and be sympathetic and he was most of the time, but I knew he wouldn't understand. Soda sat on the side of my bed, staring up at me.

"You alright?" He asked. I shook my head.

"No. You?"  
He gave out a breathless laugh, "Not even close."  
"What do you think Darry's gonna do? Send us away?"

Soda shook his head, "He wouldn't. You should know that." I should but I didn't.

I leaned into Soda, "I want Mom and Dad back." I sniffled, "It feels so empty without them." Soda put his hand on top of my head.

"I know." Soda siad, letting a teardrop out of the corner of his eye. "I know."

* * *

It had been a total of two weeks since my parent's death, and it still felt surreal. Darry had managed to talk child services into us staying at the house with him. Darry was now all of our official guardians until we turned eighteen. That was four years from now. I could already tell that Darry was different then he was when our parents were still alive. Pony and I had a strict curfew and had to finish homework right when we got home from school, or else he would shout his head off. It was better with Soda here, he made everything alright and comforted us the best he could. That was the thing, Darry was the best protector but he didn't quite understand how to comfort us. He still tried.

"Are you alright?" Angela rubbed my shoulder, we were both sitting on my bed. Darry thought it would be a good idea if I had a friend over. The entire family had noticed my horrible mood but what did they expect. I had been staring up at the ceiling for what felt like hours, and I finally managed to whisk my head up and stare at Angie, "Huh? Yeah."

Angela stared at me, "No your not… talk to me."

I wanted to slap her across the face, what did she expect? "Angela my parents just died, so no of course I'm not doing great."

Angela stared at me her lips turning downwards into a frown, "Your right, s-sorry."

"It's not your fault." I mumbled, "I just can't stop thinking you know? I keep thinking what everything is going to be like now that their gone. I mean hell Darry is going to be my guardian or whatever the fuck that means."

"Aw it can't be that bad." Angela said staring into my dresser mirror, "I mean Darry's not that bad." She was right Darry wasn't that bad. Darry also had never been responsible for three kids lives before. I remember when Darry watched us for two days when our parents went to help our aunt move for two days. Darry was a pain in our ass for forty two hours, and he wouldn't let us out of his sight. If that was what my life was going to be like for the next four years i didn' know how I would handle it.

"You know what you need?" Angela asked bouncing up on the bed, "A party!"

I stared at her, I did not need a party. That was the last thing that I needed. "Darry wouldn't let me go even if I wanted to."

"We don't have to ask him." She told me.

I shook my head, "It's too soon."

"Em… you've stayed in your room for two days without leaving. Just come for an hour, and if it's too much we'll leave."

I thought about it for a minute. It was normal for people my age to go to parties, I was fourteen nearly fifteen and there were girls already pregnant by my age. "Fine."

* * *

Angela and I both began to walk towards her house, Darry was out working for construction and Soda was taking a nap on the couch when we snuck out the door. I felt bad for leaving Soda, because I knew he would stress out when we were gone. The party was at Angela's place, there was a party every night even on Mondays. Angela and Tim's parents were always gone so they had no issue throwing parties. I wondered if Darry would become like Tim, always yelling at Angela and fighting with her. Darry wouldn't become like that now that our parents were gone… right?

"Oh! Em look!" Angela slapped my arm and pointed to across the dark living room full of drinking greasers and to a tall boy with ruffled brown hair, "That's Lee! I thought he had an eye on me!" Angela was practically screaming through the music, "I'll be right back." She shuffled across the room and left me standing near the couches alone. I shouldn't have come here. I should have known that Angela would pay more attention to the boys here then her best friend, me.

"Wanna drink?" An elbow bumped into me and I looked up to face a tall strangers face with large brown eyes. I knew him from school, he was a senior and the rowdiest greaser in the gang. Jared was known for getting into knife fights, and he had been to juvie at least six times. Jared's arm was outstretched to me with a red cup filled with a brown liquid in his hand.

I eyed it suspiciously, "No thanks."

"Aw c'mon you can't have a party without some drinks." His breath smelt like vodka spiked with a mint toothpaste.

Determined I still shook my head, "I'm fine." Jared seemed to not take no for an answer and brought the cup to my lips. I could smell the beer under my nose, I knew Darry and Soda drank sometimes but it was very rare. I also knew they would both kill me if I let alone drank at home, and I was at a party I snuck out to. I jerked my head away from the cup, "I said no."

Jared's face twisted, "Then why are you even here, sweetheart?" He was drunk, very drunk and I flinched as he wrapped his hand around my arm. I didn't know what I should say because I knew whatever I would say he would brush off.

"Hey man the girl's mine. Stop drooling over the babe." My heart dropped to my feet when I heard a voice from behind me. Why was he here? I didn't want to look up at the deep voice from behind me, but when I felt a hand drop on my shoulder I knew I had to. Dallas Winston was staring back at me with his lips turned to a smile. I wanted to crawl into a hole because I knew Dally would never let this down and run and tell all of my brothers. Thankfully Jared walked off after cursing under his breath, but he ran over to another skimpy dressed girl and handed her the drink. "What're you doin' here Curtis?"

"I wanted to come to a party what about it?"

"Ha!" Dallas let out a laugh, "What are you now, an Angela Shepherd?" He cocked his head towards Angie who had her tongue down Lee's throat already.

"Fuck off Dallas." I winded my way through the crowd and walked towards the front door, I didn't want to be here anymore. It wasn't helping anything. I felt Dally grab my upper arm and push me backwards, "So what are you going to do? Walk all the way back home, jeez Curtis."

"I walked all the way here, what makes me not able to right now?" I tried to shove him off of me but he didn't budge. I knew Dallas wouldn't let me leave, at least not alone. The other bad thing about being in a gang, basically everyone is my older brother.

"Your fucking dumb Em." He let out a breathless laugh, "Your a grease kid, at this our you're just asking for it." He pulled my arm out to the street and let go by the time we were across the street. "Why were you even there anyways? You don't seem like the party type." His eyes grazed me over and he let out a scoff.

"I just wanted to, okay? Now shut the fuck up I'm not gonna listen to you anyways." I didn't think I needed to explain myself.

Dallas took out a cigarette and put in between his lips while lighting it with his silver lighter, "I'm not dumb Curtis. What? After your parents drop dead, your gonna become a rebel now huh? Good luck kid, that's not gonna pass up with your brothers." I stopped dead in my tracks. Was he really saying that to me? I knew Dallas didn't care about anyone but himself but I thought there would be some decency in his bones.

"Go away Dally." I spat out through gritted teeth. I crossed my arms over my chest to prevent myself from crying. I couldn't cry in front of Dallas Winston it would give him all the satisfaction he wanted. He wanted to see me cry, that's why he said that bout my parents.

"You know I saved you back there!" He called after me, jogging to keep up with my pace, "That bastard basically wanted to fuck you then and there."

"Oh shut up."

Dallas laughed once again, and I sighed in relief as we reached my house. The relief faded from my eyes when I entered our small living room to face Soda and Darry both on their feet staring at the front door. "Eh boys guess where I found your lil' sister? Over at Shepherd's party! Guess she ain't as innocent as she seems huh?'

I scoffed as I bumped bast Dallas shoving him against his shoulder. "You were where?" Darry asked his voice was clearly upset, and I knew I was going to hear it from them.

"You heard him didn't you?" I slammed the fridge door closed as I pulled out the chocolate milk and poured myself a glass.

"Do not take that tone with me right now!" Darry shouted at me as I sat on the chair, trying to be unbothered by his yelling. I knew that I looked like I didn't care, but I did. I didn't want Darry to be mad at me all the time for doing something that every teenager did. And he was my brother, not my Dad. "You know that Social Services are always watching us! Why the hell would you run off like that!"

I flinched as his words began to roll of his tongue, "Because I wanted to."

"That's not a good enough excuse." He told me, his arms leaning against the back of a chair.

I shrugged, "Then deal with it."

"Em." Soda sounded like he was begging us to shut up, begging us to not fight.

Instead of complying with Soda's mute request I stood up from the table after slapping the surface, "What Soda!? Why do you think I ran out, huh!? You don't know?! Well I'll tell you! I left because I wanted to get everything out of my mind, okay! I wanted to forget about our parents dying, and forget about Social services, and bills, and jobs, and everything in between!" My face was a deep red and I could tell I looked the most angered and upset I had ever been in my life. I felt a hot stream flow down my cheek and I wiped it away after finally concluding it was a tear.

"Go to your room." Darry said this time calmly.

I made sure to elbow Darry on my way out, "Gladly."

I slammed my door shut to find Ponyboy sitting on his bed. Since we were twins, it was only fitting that we shared a room. I hate it. "What was that about?" he asked. Pony was good at that, he was good at asking first instead of instantly jumping to conclusions like Darry.

"I went to a party."

"I figured that part out." He laughed.

I grinned, "Well I guess Darry didn't."

Pony came over to sit on my bed, he faced me as he spoke softly, "Dar's just… stressed. He loves you and I know he doesn't show it in the best way. He's just nervous about everything, and upset."

Yeah, I knew that. "I know Pone. I know."

I didn't know.

...

Thanks for all of the support on this series so far! Expect more chapters :)


	3. Chapter 3

It didn't take long for Darry to forgive me. All it took was my apology for sneaking out, and for getting a little intoxicated. Darry had accepted the weak 'sorry' as long as I was grounded for two weeks. I wasn't going to lie to myself, I didn't think Darry had the right to punish me. After all, Darry was my brother, much less my Father. Ponyboy and Soda has constantly told me for the past two weeks that I would have to try and accept it at some point, and I really was trying to. But for two weeks of doing nothing but home, school, homework, and sleep it left a lot of room to think shitty things about Darry in my head. Which was what I was doing now.

My head was resting at the foot of my bed, and I was staring at my ceiling for the past hour. Steve, Soda, Dally, Two-bit, Johnny, Pony and Sandy were all watching a film in the living room. But They aren't doing much watching. I could hear them talking through the thin walls about grotese things that they had all experienced, and something that I had not.

Sex.

Of course Johnny and Pony were still virgins, like me. But they enjoyed hearing the wild tales that Dally would talk about, and even Soda. I couldn't stand them though. Hearing Soda talk about the girls that he had done was just… strange. And how they talked about girls like they were items was also something that I couldn't bare for a long period of time. And the boys would make fun of me if I tried to engage in their conversations anyways, so I stayed inside my room pretending I didn't exist.

Or at least I had been for the past three hours.

Soda ended my silence when he opened my door, only to have the door slam into the chair I had put in front of it. "Shit, Em why did you block the door with a damn chair?"

"In case one of you tried to come in." I turned over on my stomach to face him, "What do you want?"

"Dinner's ready."

I flipped back over, "I'm not hungry."

"C'mon Em, you gotta eat." I could hear Soda shove his arm through the crack in the door and shift the chair over so he could squeeze in through the small gap. I could feel the bed sink when he sat next to me, but I tried to pay no attention to it. "What's buggin' you?"

I sighed and stood up to leave Soda sitting on my bed solitardly, "You are what's wrong with me Soda. And Darry, and this house, and this stupid fucking town and everyone else in it."

Soda fell silent, "I am?" I knew I had hurt him, but at the moment I was too annoyed to care.

"Right now, yes. I have been grounded for the past two weeks for something that you and Darry always got away with when you two were my age. I went to one fucking party and you don't even try to help me, or at least let me out of the house once in awhile without narking to Dar."

"Because you could have gotten hurt, Em, really bad."

I scoffed, "I wasn't close to getting hurt Soda." I walked past him to leave my room, and make the risky attempt to get water without anyone noticing me. "I'm thirsty." I had tried to put an end to the conversation right then and there, but I knew I was out of luck. I had made Soda upset, and he wouldn't let go of a fight without finishing it. Even an argument.

He followed me out the kitchen, where the rest of the gang's eyes were aso following me. "Let it go Soda." I said placing my glass under the tap, and concentrating very hard on the swirling water.

"No, no Em I'm not going to let it go!" Soda's shouts pained my chest, but I didn't show it. "What would have happened if you couldn't have found your way home huh?"

"I would have Soda! I know my way around this town so it's time you start to fucking act like it. I'm not a kid anymore."

The hum of talk between the gang had stopped. Now the group of people in the living room were all staring and listening with wide eyes and gaping ears. "Ha! You aren't a kid anymore? Really? If you weren't a kid you wouldn't have run away!"

"I wasn't running away!" I yelled, "I went to a party without telling you there's a fucking differece!"

"Great, now you're a liar!" Soda yelled back his arms flailing out in front of him as I stood in front of the kitchen skin, "Do you not think we were all worried about you!"

I don't know why that sentence had triggered me so much, but it had. I felt my temper bubble in ne, and my breaths began to grow heavy. My hand gripped the glass, until I let it drop. The glass fell to the floor, where the glass punctured and shattered across the floor. Soda stared at me in amazement, but i was still not finished, "Do not act like you care about me! All you and Darry care about is yourselves right now! All you think about is the girls that you are going to sleep with, and the parties that your going to go to while Pon and I are asleep! I've heard you come back stammering at night because your so damn drunk, and I've seen you smoke grass just because your tired of keeping up with us kids!" I took a step nearer to Soda and I was at the point where if I took one more we would be able to touch noses, "You haven't given a shit about me since our parents died, and they would be ashamed of you and Darry if they saw you now."

Soda took a step back nearly knocking into the chair, "You don't mean that." His voice was almost a whisper, and he was right. I didn't mean half of the things I was saying, but everything was pouring out of my mouth without any sign of stopping. "We're only trying to protect you."

"Protect me?" I gasped, "Protect me from what? Oh I bet I know, you and Dar don't want me ending up like you two. That's why you have me kept inside this fucking house like a pet, you think I'm going to be a sixteen year old drop out just like yourself."

"We know what happens in the real world Emmeline! We don't want you to be sixteen and knocked up like half the girls here!"

"So that's why you don't let me go to parties huh? You don't want me getting knocked up." I couldn't contain my laughter, and I took a step closer and now we really were barely touching noses. "Well I'll let you know, the only thing that you missed from the party two weeks ago. Was that Jared was practically begging to get in my panties." I took a step away from him, "The only reason I didn't take off my shirt was because I knew it would make me a whore just like all the other girls that slept with you and Dar at a party." I scoffed, "Dad really would be disappointed."

Soda looked down at the floor, his hair flopped over his forehead shading his eyes away from me.

I had royally screwed up.

"Go to your room." Soda said not looking up from the floor.

"You do not tell me what I do. You are not my Father."

Soda jerked his head up and took steps near me so that I had to take a few steps back, "Well it seems if Father was here he would be most disappointed in you, and how much of a selfish bitch you have become." Even as my stomach sank with those hurtful words I new I had deserved it, "So do as Dad would want, and follow my orders."

I had never once thought of Soda as scary, or intimidating.

But right now when I saw the anger in his eyes it reminded me of my Father when I was five.

When I was five and my Dad would yell at me I thought he was the scariest person in the world.

But the next hour he would laugh and smile at me, and his eyes would sparkle again.

I knew that the same thing applied to Soda, and Darry. I would have to do as Soda asked if the sparkle in his eyes would come back ever again, because that is what I had to do with my Dad. And Soda was the spitting image of him.

I slumped my shoulders in defeat, and walked quietly out of the room and into my own. I closed the door behind me and let my back slide against the doorframe till I was sitting. My walls that I had built up to be rough and defensive crumpled down. My eyes began to let out tears, flowing tears that slid down my cheeks and dropped down my chin and onto the carpet. I couldn't tell that I was so angry when I was yelling at Soda.

But then I realised something.

I wasn't angry at Soda.

Or Darry.

I was angry at someone else.

I heard Darry come home.

He had thrown the car keys on the couch like he always did when he came home from work.

Soda had to be at the table, because I heard one of the dining table's chair's screech out and footsteps began to walk towards the door.

I heard Soda's voice talk to Darry about what I had done, and Darry sighed.

Darry didn't ask Soda any questions, he just began to pace quickly towards my door.

And then my door opened.

I was sitting with my back to the door, with my Father's Tee shirt on and my Mother's silk pajama pants. I had worn my hair in braids as my Mother had always done them when I was a kid. It made me feel close to them.

"Emmeline Curtis!" Darry wasn't gentle, he wasn't kind, or comforting.

I turned around tears still pricking at the end of my eyes, and I wiped them away before talking. "I know." I whispered, "I know."

"What the hell does that mean!" He was yelling now, shouting so everybody could hear him.

"Would you get Soda please?" I still was barely speaking up.

He put his hand on his hips, "Wha-"

"Darry please."  
Darry didn't ask any other question, but he went to call for Soda and Soda came clamoring in. Soda still looked angry, and he refused to look at me straight in the face. They both stood in the doorway like a pair of twins. I scooted to the end of my bed as to be closer to them.

"I'm sorry. To both of you." I began. "I know I've been different lately. Angry I guess. And I know that you both think it's because of you both. It's been a weird change between having parents and then having you guys as them. And I know I'm makin' it a lot harder." Darry scoffed, "I'm not tryin' to Dar. I'm just angry. So angry."

'Angry at who? At us? What the hell have we done to you besides try to protect you for the past month?" Darry was right.

"I'm mad at our parents." I shook with another cry, "I'm mad that they died. I'm mad that God let them die. I'm mad at everything that made them leave, I-I'm mad at myself." I sputtered out words at this point. Hair sticking to my nose and eyelids, "I-I could have stopped it, I should-should have asked them to stay home. And now their gone and it's my fault." I felt hands be placed on my both sides of my face. And when I looked up I saw a pair of eyes that were soft, and gentle, and they looked like my Father's.

And the eyes were Darry's. "It is not your fault, Em. It's not your fault." He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and leaned me into his chest where I was safe. LIke my Dad used to do when I cried. "I'm sorry." I said, "I've been taking it out on you for a month now. Just because I wasn't sure how to act."

Darry smoothed over my mop of hair, "I know Em, I know."

I felt a hand on my back, Soda. He looked pained, and I knew why. He wasn't sure if he should be soft and gentle, because he was still pissed about my words that I had told him just hours ago. "I'm sorry Soda. So sorry. Dad isn't doing anything right now than smile down at you."

Soda grinned, "It's alright Em, it ain't your fault too."

I grinned, but silently I didn't believe him.


	4. Chapter 4

For the last week I hadn't argued with Darry and Soda or Pony. I had tried to keep cool around the house and do the chores that Dar asked me to. I didn't ask for any money and I wasn't going to any parties, even on the weekend. I even had turned down plans with Angela.

It was Saturday night, the gang was at the house for a rumble with the Soc's that was supposed to happen in an hour. One of the Soc's had chivved one of our gang. So, our response was to beat every other one of them to the ground. I didn't agree with it but Angela had told me that she was going to be there. I knew that there was no way Darry would let me go, but I had done everything he had asked for the past week so I didn't think it would get me in too much trouble if I asked.

I locked myself in my room while the gang was over, but I knew I had to go out in order to face Darry. I threw on a jacket and looked at myself once more in the mirror. Half of the boys in the living room were shirtless, and Soda was doing push ups on the floor like he was going to become ten times stronger.

"Dar." I tried to get his attention, but he was too busy boasting to Steve about how he was going to bash one of the boys heads in. I cringed. All the blood and guts didn't appeal to me, but I hadn't been out of the house in a week and I was desperate to get fresh air other than school. "Darry!"

"Look the girl finally talks." Dally cracked and leaned against the couch, eyeing me with a beer bottle in hands.

"Shut up Dally, maybe you could tell girls to stop sucking on your neck you look like you hanged yourself." the rest of the gang laughed at my joke, but Dally's face remained straight.

"Not like you could get any yourself princess."

"Darry can I go to the rumble?" I spat it out instead of drawing it on.

Darry gave me a side eye, "Why do you ask me questions that you already know the answers to?"

"Dary please?" Darry stuck in his shirt into his pants, and fastened the belt into the loop holes, he pulled back his hair and stared straight at me.

"You know how dangerous it is Em, I don't want anyone doing' anything' to ya."

I rolled my eyes at my older brother tactics, "Dar, the gang's all gonna be there and it's not like their going to let anything happen to me anyways. Plus I'm going to be with Angela."

Darry looked over at Soda, but his head was hanging at the floor. I knew that he didn't want to be part of this mini argument. Soda and Darry didn't want me to get involved in rumbles, but it was a part of the gang and last time I checked I was a part of that too.

"Why can't you just hang out with Ponyboy and Johnny?" Darry creased his eyebrows together.

I laughed, "Because I really don't want to hear them talk about girls while I'm with them, and Angela is going to be at the rumble. Please just let me go?"

Darry looked at Soda who had finally picked his head up and was looking right at Darry. He didn't seem to mind, he shrugged his shoulders up, "I was twelve when I went to my first rumble Darry and I didn't even get hurt. Maybe it's not too bad for her to go." I wish they would stop talking like I was in the room.

"Fine." Darry pointed his finger up at me, "But you stay out of trouble, and you don't get into any fighting, you hear?"

"Yes sir." I nodded, and went to lean back on the couch as I waited for the rest of the gang to finish flexing in front of mirrors and put on their shirts. The rumble was in an empty barn which meant the ride there was mostly a dirt road with twists and turns. I hadn't met many soc's, and if I passed some at school I would try to avoid them as much as possible.

"Are you nervous Em?" Soda asked me at my side.

I shook my head, "What do I have to be nervous for So?"

"Right, right, it's not like your going to fight anyone." He gave me a side glance, "You aren't right?"

I cocked my head to the side and looked up at him, "I don't know am I?" Soda glared down at me, I already could see an argument starting and I really wasn't trying to have one so I recovered myself, "No Soda I'm not going to. I only came here to get out of the house, and because Angela will be here."

The car had stopped at an empty barn basically, I could see the Soc's on one side all with jock jackets on some of them with bright red shirts or blue polos. They all had hair neatly placed behind their ear. Even some of the boys were combing their hair. The Soc girls were all leaning against the barn's wall, checking their nails and talking to some of the other girls. The Soc's were all very different then the Greasers.

I could spot the Greaser's at the opposite side of the barn, both of the gangs were separated by a ring that was blocked off by an old wood fence. The Grease guys had the same solid white and black tucked in shirts while the girls wore leather and tight jeans with big hair and were smoking grass or cigarettes. Almost all of the Greasers were drunk and a few bottles were kicked off to the side.

I walked with my side of the gang into the barn, "You stay on this side of the fence, you hear?" Darry grabbed my arm before I could go into the barn. I already spotted Angela so I knew that I wouldn't talk to anyone else for the rest of the night.

"I wasn't planning' on it." I brushed him away and made my way to Angela.

"Em!" Angela gripped her nails into my back when she gave me a tight hug, I almost had to force myself off of her, "It feels like forever' since I last saw ya'."

"It's only been a week Ang." I gave her a shaky laugh.

"Still. So much has happened since we last met, you know that boy at the party? He asked for my number, and he's planning to take me on a date next weekend. Not sure how long it's gonna last though, he cares about school and shit."

For some that would be a good thing, it wasn't a good thing for Angela. She didn't follow the rules, and when she tried to it always backfired on her. If she wasn't following the rules Tim or her deadbeat parents would beat her. If she was nobody noticed anyways, and the gang would call her stuck-up. Angela thought I was lucky, because even though I didn't have parents my siblings still wanted me to be something. Darry wanted me to go to college, and would get on my ass for bad grades and even though it drove me up the fucking wall he at least didn't want me to get pregnant.

"Speaking of boys…" Angela tugged at my shoulder and pointed her beer to a boy that was standing a few feet away from us. "His eyes have been on ya for awhile now."

He was cute, his hair was dark brown and greased back yet it was still a slight bit long. His eyes were bright green and his ears were pierced which was common for a Grease. He had a cigarette nudged in between his teeth, and a white shirt tucked into his jeans. He wasn't just cute, if I could, I would take him home with me. But he was a Greaser. Even though I was a Greaser I knew that Darry would never allow it. He screamed trouble, but I like it.

"Angela… you know I can't."

Angela rolled her eyes at me, '' Yes. You can."

Thankfully the girl next to her offered her a drag off of her cigarette and she forgot about the boy that was looking at me. I didn't though, I could see him out of the corner of my eye. His eyes were bright green and everytime I turned my head I could see them staring right at me. Angela was still talking to the Grease girls next to her when the rumble had started. The rules were always the same for every rumble, no blades and no guns. Although by the end of them nobody followed the no blade rule. Darry and everyone hadn't joined into the rumble yet, they were all standing by the side of the fence, their back to me all staring at the fighting groups and waiting for the right part to jump in. I heard someone's skull crack over the screams and I couldn't help but wince and look down to avoid the blood.

"You don't like the blood either, do you?" I looked up to find the boy with the bright green eyes staring at me, his hand still holding the cigarette which was dying by now.

I leaned back against the barn s, "No." I sighed, "Not at all."

"Then what's a Grease like you doing here?" He asked, his voice was raspy and deep, probably because of the cigarette smoke lodged in his throat.

"I could ask you the same question, whoever you are."

"My name is Jace, and I hate to break it to you darling but I'm not a Grease."

"Well you're sure as hell not a Soc either, and my name is Em it's not sweetheart."

Jace moved his head to the side with a grin plastered over his face, "Your right I'm not."  
"Then why are you here it's a rumble, a gang rumble to be specific."

"Because both of my brother's are fighting… on opposite sides."

I laughed, "That's not common."

"We're stepbrothers Em, at least my Soc stepbrother is fighting my Grease brother."

"So why aren't you a Grease then?"

Jace flicked his cigarette on the dirt floor, "I don't want to get involved in their little fued, nearly tore my parents apart. And it's not like i'm into the whole gang spotlight anyways."

I understood it more than he knew, I didn't want to be a Greaser but I didn't have a choice. My brothers had made me join officially after our parents had died for protection, besides before then I was already considered a Greaser. "So what is a pretty girl like you doing' here of all places Em?"

I tried not to obviously blush at his compliment, "My brother's are fighting against the Soc's."

"Brothers?"

"Yes, three of them but only two are fighting."

"Why only two?"

"Because one of them is my twin and my oldest brother thinks fifteen is too young to begin fighting."

"Shit, your fifteen?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"You look older than' all, I'm sixteen."

I looked over Jace's shoulders once the crowd began to gasp and scream. I wasn't surprised at the sight that I had seen Dally had cracked open a guys jaw with one of his rings. A large gash was oozing blood from the Socs chin and he groaned in agony as Dally punched him across his ribs. The Soc crumpled to the floor in a ball, but that only encouraged the other Soc's to pummel on top of Dally, punching him continuously till he was black and blue.

"Dal!" I recognized that scream from ahead of me, I darted my eyes up to find Johnny darting to the opening of the fight and jumping on top of all the Soc's. :Pony came trailing behind him, jumping in the ring as well.

I couldn't stop my limbs from running towards my twin brother, "Ponyboy!" I yelled darting towards the center of the rumble where people were still punching around me. "Pony!" he grabbed Johnny right by his shirt's collar to swing him towards him right when Johnny pulled out a blade.

"He has a blade!" Soc's were screaming all over, and right then everyone could hear the metal scraping of chivs being pulled out from people's belts.

Pony tried to yell over the noise, "He ain't gonna use it!" His voice was like a mouse surrounding by the hurricane. Right before me Pony and Johnny both got pummeled to the ground and I felt someone take my arm and rip it from behind me. A sharp pain came right across my stomach and when I looked down the sight of sliced skin and dripping blood from my abdomen was all I could see.

Someone tug at my back which made me trip on my feet and made me fall right to the dirt floor, my face made contact with the ground and I felt someone's foot quickly snap with the back of my skull.

And just for a minute the roaring rumble went quiet.

"Em!" I heard Darry hollering through all the ruckus, how could he still be so loud? "Emmeline?" I opened my eyes and turned my head from off of the floor and I saw my oldest brother crouching down at me. Instantly he reached down and held me over his shoulder like a rag doll. "Ah Emmie they whipped you pretty good eh?"

I didn't want to talk I could feel a liquid warm and metallic at the back of my throat and there wasn't a doubt in my body that it was blood. "We gotta get you home." Darry was still holding onto me when Sodapop came right at us with Johnny and Pony at his side along with Two-Bit, Steve and Dalllas.

"C'mon I'm driving." Steve took the car keys from Dallas and reared Dallas's convertible into action. Steve knew how to drive fast, that's why he had done so much work on cars so he could find ways to make them faster.

"Shit, shit, shit she's bleeding' pretty bad huh?" Dallas was holding onto his head, he probably had a concussion.

"Yeah now for fuck's sake be quiet Dally." Johnny moaned in the backseat, his head was throbbing but I didn't see any blood on him or Johnny. It was only Dally and I that had enough cuts on them to say they were in a real rumble.

"Shit, why the fuck did you have to go into that circle huh'?" Darry looked down at my forehead which was cut up pretty good, he grabbed part of his shirt and ripped it off to apply pressure to the wound.

I winced when his skin made contact, "I don't need any stitches, do I?"

"I don't think so, and you never answered my question."

"I saw Pony jump in and I tried to stop him." I answered, it was better to not lie right now.

Darry scuked in a breath, "This was the exact reason why I didn't want you to go."

"It's not like I died."  
"And it's not like you didn't get slashed up with a switchblade either."

"I'm fine Darry." I brushed him off, "Seriously I just want to get to bed."

"That's not a good idea Dar, she could have a concussion." Steve popped his head into the argument.

"I don't have a concussion I didn't hit my head."

Darry shifted my head to the right, "Yes you did. There's blood gushing out of you cut back here."

"Fuck." Soda eyed my cut, "that sure does look like somethin' bad Dar."

"Hospital?" Steve asked.

I elbowed him sharply, "Fuck no, they already said I don't need any stitches didn't you hear?"

"Are you sure-"

"I'm sure Steve, just wrap it up."

I really hope it wasn't a concussion.


End file.
